Electrophotographic transfer-printing device

ABSTRACT

A sheet of card material which comprises a dielectric layer disposed over a conductive layer and a photoreceptor bearing an electrostatic latent image are pressed against each other and a transfer-printing roller is passed over them to transfer-print the latent image from the photoreceptor onto the card material. A stripper cooperates with the transfer-printing roller to peel off the card material from the photoreceptor as the transfer-printing roller is moving. A conductive member cuts into the card material while the transfer-printing is carried out in order to correctly position the card material and in order to electrically connect the card material to a selected potential point. Discharge pawls move in slaved relation to the transfer-printing roller to discharge the card material from its transfer-printing position after the electrostatic latent image is transferred to it.

United States Patent [191 Isonaka et a1.

[451 Oct. 15,1974

1 ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC TRANSFER-PRINTING DEVICE [73] Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: May 21, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 362,508

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,733,124 5/1973 Tanaka ct al 355/16 X Primary Examiner-Robert P. Greiner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cooper, Dunham, Clark, Griffin & Moran [57] ABSTRACT A sheet of card material which comprises a dielectric layer disposed over a conductive layer and a photoreceptor bearing an electrostatic latent image are pressed against each other and a transfer-printing roller is passed over them to transfer-print the latent image from the photoreceptor onto the card material. A stripper cooperates with the transfer-printing roller to peel off the card material from the photoreceptor as the transfer-printing roller is moving. A conductive member cuts into the card material while the transferprinting is carried out in order to correctly position the card material and in order to electrically connect the card material to a selected potential point. Discharge pawls move in slaved relation to the transferprinting roller to discharge the card material from its transfenprinting position after the electrostatic latent image is transferred to it.

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49 203 203Gb L 203 ELECTROPIIOTOGRAPHIC I TRANSFER-PRINTING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to electrophotographic transfer-printing devices. In electrophotography, a photoconductive material layer of a photoreceptor is charged electrically and is exposed to the optical image of an original to form an electrostatic latent image thereof on the photoreceptor. Then, a dielectric material layer of a transfer-printing sheet is pressed against the photoconductive layer bearing'the latent image to thereby transfer that image from the photoreceptor to the dielectric material layer of the transferprinting sheet. This technique is commonly used in electrophotography devices in which the photoreceptor is a drum. When drum type photoreceptors are used, the photorece'ptor drum is engaged by a pressing drum and the transfer-printing sheet is passed between the pressing drum and the photoreceptor drum. The pressure between the pressing drum and the photoreceptor drum may be high in order to carry out satisfactory transferprinting.

However, when the photoreceptor is planar, difficulties may be experienced in attempting to apply uniform high pressure between the photoreceptor and the transfer-printing sheet because the area of contact between the two surfaces may be great. This is especially true when'the transfer-printing sheet is made of a relatively hard and stiff material, such as for example, the card material used for producing identification cards. It is therefore desirable to find a way to carry out effective transfer-printing when the photoreceptor is planar and the transfer-printing sheet is relatively stiff.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The invention is in the field of transfer-printing of electrophotographic latent images. One object of the invention is to provide satisfactory transfer-printing of electrostatic latent images when the photoreceptor is planar and the transfer-printing sheet is made of relatively stiff material. Another object of the invention is to ensure proper positioning between a transferprinting sheet and the photoreceptor during transferprinting and to ensure suitable electrical potential at the transfer-printing sheet. A further object of the invention is to ensure that the transferprinting sheet is properly separated from the photoreceptor as soon as transfer-printing of a portion thereof has been completed and to ensure the transfer-printing of a clean latent image of high quality.

These and other objects of the invention are embodled in a device for producing identification cards by first forming an electrostatic latent image of a card user or of an object or a planar photoreceptor, then bringing the latent image-bearing side of the photoreceptor in contact with a card material comprising a dielectric layer facing the photoreceptor and a backing conductive layer, and then transfer-printing the latent image from the photoreceptor onto the dielectric layer of the card material.

Transfer-printing is carried out with the help of a transfer-printing roller moving in rolling motion over the card material which is over the photoreceptor. The portion of the card material over which the transferprinting roller has just passed is gradually lifted from the photoreceptor by a stripper member to ensure proper and clean separation between the two. A sharp conductive member cuts into the card material while the card material and the photoreceptor are pressed together in order to properly position the card material with respect to the photoreceptor and in order to connect the conductive backing of the card material to a suitable electrical potential.

The device embodying the invention permits steady selected pressure to be applied to the card material and to the photoreceptor to carry out satisfactory transferprinting of the latent image from the photoreceptor onto the card material even when the card material is relatively hard and stiff.

The use of the stripper member allows for gradually peeling off the card material from the photoreceptor as soon as transfer-printing of a portion thereof is finished. This prevents undesirable smearing and otherwise degrading the transferred latent image. Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an identification card produced by an identification card producing apparatus in which the subject invention is incorporated.

FIGS. 2 through 9 are explanatory views of the steps in a method for producing an identification card in which this invention may be used.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an identification card producing apparatus in which this invention is incorporated.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the internal structure of the apparatus of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the internal structure of the apparatus of FIG. 10 as seen from below.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing the construction of the passage for the card material into the apparatus of FIG. 10.

FIG; 14 is a plan view showing a charging device, a screen and a projecting lens of the apparatus of FIG. 10.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a fine mesh screen.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the screen of FIG. 15.

FIGS. 17 through 19 are sectional views of the charging device and screen in relation to a photoreceptor.

FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing the photoreceptor at a photographing position and at a transferprinting position.

FIG. 21 is a side view of a return means for positioning a card material.

FIGS. 22 and 23 are plan views showing the manner in which a card material is electrically grounded and FIGS. 30 and 31 are perspective views showing the manner in which the photoreceptor is mounted on a backing plate.

FIGS. 32 through 39 are side views showing means for stretching the photoreceptor after it is mounted on the backing plate.

FIG..40 is a sectional view illustrating a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the card material by the transfer-printing device according to the invention.

FIGS. 40 through 47 are schematic views showing portions of the developing device of FIG. 40.

FIG. 48 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a developing device.

FIG. 49 is a circuit diagram showing control means for the identification card producing apparatus of FIG. 10. 4

DETAILED DESCRIPTION posited over the supporter l, and a dielectric layer 3 deposited over the conductive material layer 2. A toner image 4, which may be the photographic image of a person, is on the dielectric layer 3, and markings 5, which may be printed or handwritten matter, stamps and the like are also on the dielectric layer 3. A transparent protective layer 6 is deposited over the dielectric layer 3 to protect the toner image 4 and the markings 5 thereon.

The supporter 1 may be a relatively thick sheet of paper or of a synthetic resinous material and its stiffness may be further increased by applying a backing material to it. The conductive material layer 2 may be deposited on the supporter 1 by vapor deposition of aluminum in vacuum, or by other suitable means. The dielectric material layer 3 may be of a material such as an acrylic resin,.methacrylic resin, vinyl chloride or the like, and may be deposited on the conductive material layer 2 by the use of a binder. The dielectric material layer, 3 may be formed by using a binder including a photoconductive material, such as zinc oxide, polyvinyl carbazol or the like. If a sheet of a suitable metal or of rubber is used as the supporter l, the conductive material layer 2 may be eliminated. The toner image 4 may be formed by first forming an electrostatic latent image of a person and then developing the latent image such as by powedered toner particles. The markings 5 may be entered by printing, stamping or handwriting or by any other suitable means. The transparent materiallayer may be formed by applying a film of vinyl chloride or other synthetic resinous material, or by applying a solution of a synthetic resinous material used as a laminating material, or by immersing the card in such solution.

lt is noted that an identification card of the type described above does not rely on silver salt photography and can therefore be produced without the cumbersome steps involved in producing a photographic print. Further, the prior art need to paste a silver salt photographic print onto an identification card, to affix a seal to the card material or to make another type of an impression on the photographic print and on the card material is eliminated, because the entry of markings necessary for identifying the card user may be made directly on the surface of the photographic image either by handwriting, printing, stamping, or the like.

Still further, the toner image formed in accordance with the invention is not subject to fading. The toner image formed on an identification card in accordance with the invention has a sufficient range of half tones, and it is neither too sharp in contrast or too poor in contrast as sometimes happens with ordinary photographic images. The toner image is of high quality and is effective to identify the card user. The invention may be explained in a simplified manner by reference to the seven basic steps discussed in connection with FIGS. 2 through 9. These steps are as follows:

Step 1 (FIG. 2). A photoreceptor 23 comprises a photoconductive material layer 22 deposited on a supporter 21 which is electrically conductive. The supporter 21 may be made of material such as aluminum, copper or other electrically conductive materials, and the photoconductive material layer 22 may be vapor deposited in vacuum and may comprise materials such as selenium, zinc oxice, poly-N-vinyl carbazol or other photoconductive materials. The photoconductive material layer 22 is uniformly charged throughout its entire surface by a corona discharge produced by a charger C having a wire electrode C2 connected to a high voltage power source C1 and moved in the direction of an arrow a.

A high bias voltage of a polarity consistent with the charge characteristics of the photoconductive material layer 22 is impressed on the wire electrode C2 in order to suitably charge the layer 22. For example, if the layer 22 comprises selenium, the bias voltage would be positive. A bias voltage of the opposite polarity is impressed on the supporter 21, or the supporter 21 may be grounded as shown. The supporter 21 may be backed or framed by a suitable insulating plate (not shown).

Step 2 (FIG. 3). A screen 24 is disposed immediately adjacent the photoconductive material layer 22 after the layer 22 is uniformly charged throughout its entire surface. The screen 24 may be a fine mesh screen of a material such as insulated synthetic resinous material sheet formed with a plurality of very small openings by a process such as photo-etching. Alternately, the screen 24 may be a glass sheet ruled with a fine grid of cross lines. The purpose of the screen 24 is to produce a mesh point effect in the image which is projected onto the photoconductive material layer 22 in the next step 3. The size of the opening of the mesh screen 24 is selected to produce dots which are beyond the resolving power of the human eye at a normal reading distance.

Step 3 (FIG. 4). The photoconductive material layer 22 is exposed to an optical image of a person 26 through a projection lens 25. The fine mesh screen 24 is between the photoconductive layer 22 and the projection lens 25. A diaphragm 27 is opened for a suitable period, such as one-thirtieth of a second. The sensitivity'of the photoconductive material layer 22 may be increased by using a coloring matter or other sensitivity increasing agent. The spacing between the fine mesh screen 24 and the photoconductive material layer 22 is selected such that the screen mesh can be photographed on the surface of the photoconductive material layer 22 by the projection lens 25. It should be clear that a photographic latent image on the layer 23 may be formed by photographing either a person 26, or a photograph or another image thereof, or by photographing another object.

Step 4 (FIG. 5). After a latent image is formed on the layer 23 in step 4, a sheet of card material 28 is brought in contact with the photoreceptor 23 such that the dielectric material layer 29 of the card material 28 faces the latent image bearing photoconductive material layer 22 of the photoreceptor 23. The photoelectric latent image is transferred to the dielectric material layer 29 of the card material 28 by transfer printing. The card material 28 is identical with the card material discussed in connection with FIG. 1, except that it does not have the. transparent layer 6 or the markings 5 or the tonerimage 4 of the card material shown in FIG. 1. Transfer printing of the type shown in FIG. 5 can be carried out by pressing the photoreceptor 23 and the card material 28 against each other with sufficient force, such as by a suitable roller arrangement. The

conductive material layer 31 of the card material 28 may be electrically grounded, or a bias voltage of a suitable polarity and level may be impressed on the conductive material layer 31, as is conventional in transferprinting.

Step 5 (FIGS. 6 and 7). After step 4, the card material 28 bears an electrostatic latent image. The purpose of step 5 is to develop this latent image into a visible image. This may be done by suitable developing means such as the means illustrated schematically in FIG. 6 where the card material 28 is conveyed by suitable conveyor means (not shown) in the direction of an arrow b and the dielectric material layer 29 thereof is brought in contact with the periphery of a developing roller 34 which is partly immersed in a developing liquid 33 in a container 32. The developing roller 34 may be a conductive metallic roller made of materials such as copper or aluminum, or may be a conductive rubber roller. The developing liquid 33 includes fine toner particles which are supplied to the electrostatic latent image to convert it into a visible toner image 35. Any other suitable device for developing electrostatic latent images may be used. The toner contained in the developing agentmay comprise. fine powder of carbon black or other pigment treated with a resin.

Step 6 (FIG. 8). Markings such as the signature and identification number, and other particulars of the card user may be entered on the same surface of the card material 28 which bears the developed visible image 35. The markings may be entered by handwriting, typing, printing, stamping or the like.

Step 7 (FIG. 9). A transparent protective film 6a is laminated onto the surface of the card material 28 which bears the visible image and the markings. The lamination is carried out with the help of laminating rollers 36a and 36b in a conventional manner. After lamination, the identification card according to the invention is ready for use. It should be clear that instead of laminating, the card material may be protected by other suitable means, such as by synthetic resinous material in liquid form applied to the card material surface, or the card material may be impregnated with such liquid.

The seven steps discussed above are only a brief and simplified explanation of some of the major steps involved in practicing the invention. A specific device embodying the invention is described below.

Referring to FIG. 10, an identification card producing device according to the invention comprises :1 casing 41 which has a front side with a taking lens 42 and a finder objective window 43. The top side of the casing 41 has a finder window 44, a push-button 45 for a main off-on switch SW1 and a push-button 46 for a shutter release switch SW2. The push-button 45 has a built-in lamp L1 to indicate that the device is on, and the pushbutton 46 has a built-in lamp L2 to indicate that the shutter release is operable as subsequently described in connection with FIG. 49.

Referring to FIG. 10 again, a cutout 48 is formed in the upper portion of the card material feed port 47 at the left side of the device 41. A card material 49 (see FIG. 11) may be inserted in the port 47 and is pushed rightwardly to a position in which its trailing end is substantially aligned with an innermost edge 48a of the cutout 48 (FIG. 11). The card material 49 is identical with the card material 28 discussed above.

Referring to FIG. 13, support plates 51 and 55 are disposed inwardly of the card material feed port 47 of the casing 41. The support plate 51 has a support bar 50 mounted on one marginal portion thereof to define a guide recess 51a, and the support plate has a cutout 52 and a support bar 54 to define an outer guide recess 55a. The two guide plates 51 and 55 are disposed such that the card material 49 inserted through the port 47 moves in the direction of an arrow 0 with the side margins of the card material 49 received within the guide recesses 51a and 55a. The vertical dimension of the guide recesses 51a and 55a is such that the card material 49 can be maintained in a horizontal position as the card moves in the direction of the arrow 0. Referring still to FIG. 13, a positioning member 56 is disposed at the right forward side ofthe card material feed port 47. The positioning member 56 has an inwardly inclined edge 56a to guide the right front shoulder 49a of the card material 49 as it is inserted into the port 47. The positioning member 56 is secured to one end of a bar 57 which has slots 57a and 57b and is slidably supported on the support 51 by a pin 58 extending from the support plate 51 and loosely received in the slot 58a. A screw 59 is threaded into the support plate 51 and is loosely received in the slot 57b of the bar 58. The bar 57 has at its right-hand end an upwardly bent portion 57c, and a spring 60 connects the upwardly bent portion 570 and the pin 58 to urge the bar 57 leftwardly.

When the card material 49 is inserted through the port 47 into the casing l, the right front shoulder 49a thereof pushes the positioning member 56 out of the card material passage against the biasing force of the spring 60. As the card material 49 is pushed further into the casing 60, the left edge of the positioning member 56 is maintained in engagement with the right-hand side of the card material 49. However, when the trailing end of the card material 49 has passed through this portion of the passage, the positioning member 56 is moved leftwardly by the spring 60, such that its lefthand portion 56b is again disposed in the passage of the card material (FIG. 11).

The positioning member 56 has a major edge 56c which engages the trailing end of the card material 49 to correctly position the card material when it is pushed backwardly by a card material push-back pawl 61 after it has been pushed in to the casing 41. This position of the card material 49 is shown in FIG. 11. As described in detail below, the position of the card material49 shown in FIG. 11 is the transfer printing position in which the card material 49 and a photoreceptor 62 (FIG. 12) are pressed against each other so that an electrostatic latent image which is at this time on the photoreceptor 62 is transferred onto the card material 49. The photoreceptor 62 is identical in construction with the photoreceptor 23 discussed in connection with FIGS. 2 through 5.

The photoreceptor 62, and several ways of mounting the photoreceptor 62 onto a backing plate 63 (which corresponds to the backing plate 21 of FIGS. 2 through '5) are shown in detail in FIGS. 30 through 39.

Referring to FIGS. 30 and 31, the photoreceptor 62 is shown as a relatively thin sheet and the backing plate 63 is shown as a relatively thick plate having a U- shaped groove 6311 at its back edge. The photoreceptor 62 is sufficiently long so that its front and back ends can fold over the front and back ends respectively of the backing plate 63.

The photoreceptor 62 is used to form thereon an electrostatic latent image and then to transfer this electrostatic latent image onto the card material 49 by transfer printing. A transfer printing operation of this type is illustrated schematically in FIG. 32, and it can be seen that it is desirable that the'photoreceptor 62 be tightly stretched over the backing plate 63 in order to avoid distortions of the transferred image. As seen in FIG. 32, if the top portion of the photoreceptor 62 is not properly tensioned over the backing plate 63, wrinkles and other distortions may form as a transfer printing roller 69 is moved in the indicated direction.

Several suitable arrangements for tensioning the photoreceptor 62 over the backing plate 63 are shown in FIGS. 31 and 33 through 39. Referring to FIG. 31, a pair of mounting members 64 and 65 are secured to the sides of the backing plate 63 which flank the groove 63a. A round bar 66 is inserted in the groove 63a, over the folded end of the photoreceptor 62, and screws 67 and 68 are inserted through suitable openings in the round bar 66 and are threaded into suitable threaded openings 64a and 65a respectively of the mounting members 64 and 65 to fasten the round bar 66-to the backing plate 63. and'to thereby tension the photoreceptor 62.

Referring to FIG. 33, the photoreceptor 62 may be secured to the backing plate 63 by suitable screws fastening the folded over ends of the photoreceptor 62 to the-underside of the backing plate 63. Alternately, the

folded over ends of the photoreceptor 62 may be adhcsively bonded to the underside of the backing plate 63. When the photoreceptor 62 is secured to the backing plate 63 as shown in FIG. 33, the photoreceptor 62 may be tensioned by a keep bar 71 disposed as shown in FIG. 34. The function of the keep bar 71 is similar to that of the round bar 66 shown in FIG. 31. An alternate way of tensioning the photoreceptor 62 is shown in FIGS. 35 and 36 and involves the use of a resilient stopper plate 72 having stopper ends 720 and 72b. The stopper plate 72 is attached to the underside of the backing plate 63 and the end stoppers 72a and 72b thereof are inserted in grooves 63a and 63b respectively of the backing plate 63 over the folded ends of the photoreceptor 62. An alternate type of a stopper plate is shown in FIGS. 37 and 38 where a stopper plate 73 has a single stopper end 73a which cooperates with a groove 63a in the backing plate 63. v

A still alternate manner of tensioning the photoreceptor 62 over the backing plate 63 is illustrated in FIG. 39 and involves the use of a stopper plate 63 having offset portions 760 and 76b at its front and back ends respectively. After the front and back ends of the photoreceptor 62 are secured to the front and back sides of the backing plate 63 respectively by suitable screws or otherwise, keep bars 77 and 78 are placed on the offset portions 76a and 76b respectively, over the front and back ends of the photoreceptor 62 respectively, and are fastened to the backing plate 63 by suitable screws 79 and 80 to tension the photoreceptor 62.

Referring to FIG. 12, a photoreceptor 62 mounted on a backing plate 63 in one of the several possible ways discussed above is mounted on a photoreceptor support plate 81. The plate 81 has arms 81a and 81b that are loosely supported by a shaft 82 disposed on the right side of the card material passage and parallel thereto, so that the photoreceptor 62 is maintained in the photographic position shown in FIG. 12.

Arm means 83 are disposed to the right of the arm 81b and are firmly secured to the shaft 82 at a tubular portion 84 thereof. The arm means 83 are bent substantially in the middle so that the front end 830 thereof may be disposed beneath the arm 81b. A coil spring 85 urges the arm 81b toward a pressing engagement with the forward end 83a of the arm means 83.

The shaft 82 is rotatably supported by fixed supporters 86 and 87, and a cam 88 having an arcuate major diameter portion 88a is secured to a portion of the shaft 82, on the side of the supporter 87, by a boss 89 thereof which is fitted over the shaft 82. The shaft 82 is urged to rotate in the direction of the arrow e by the biasing force of a coil spring 90.

The supporter 81 is maintained in engagement with a plate shaped stopper 91 as the shaft 82 tends to rotate in the direction of the arrow e under the biasing force of the spring 90. The stopper 91 is positioned by a positioning member 91a so that the photoreceptor 62 can be correctly positioned at its photographing position relative to the taking lens 42.

Two rails 93 and 94 are parallel to each other and to the surface of the photoreceptor 62 and are disposed in front of and below the photoreceptor 62. The rails 93 and 94 have bosses 95a, 95b, 96a, and 96b which are fitted over two charging device support bars 95 and 96 respectively to thereby mount the bars 95 and 96 slidably on the rails 93 and 94 respectively.

The rails 93 and 94 of FIG. 12 support a charging device 97 which is illustrated in FIG. 14. Referring to FIG. 14, the charging device 97 includes a frame 98 affixed to the charging device support bars 95 and 96 and including wire electrodes 99 and 100 separated from each other by a partition 98a. A high bias voltage of a suitable polarity is impressed on the wire electrodes 99 and 100 by a suitable high voltage source Ch (FIG. 49) in the course of the charging step described below.

Referring back to FIG. 12, the charging device support bar 96 has at its center a projection 96c supporting one end of a wire 102 which is wound on a pulley 101. The pulley 101 is adapted to be connected through a gear 103, affixed to a shaft 101a, to a drive mechanism 104 connected to a motor M1 (FIG. 49). Referring to FIG. 49, upon the energization of a solenoid SOLl after the shutter release SW2 is closed and a charging initiation command is issued, the gear 103 and the pulley'101 are connected to the drive mechanism 104 to start rotating in the direction of an arrow f.

Referring to FIG. 12, the charging device 97 is originallyv at its initial position leftwardly of the photographing position shown in the figure while in the initial position, the charging device support bar 95 keeps a switch SW3 in a depressed position. As the pulley 101 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow f, the charging device 97 is pulled by the wire 102 and passes by the front of the photoreceptor 62. At the same time, the switch SW3 is released from the depressed position and actuates the high voltage source Ch (FIG. 49), which impresses a suitable voltage on the wire electrodes 99 and 100 to thereby charge the entire surface of the photoconductive material layer of the photoreceptor 62 by a corona discharge. The motion of the charging device 97 is illustrated in FIG. 14.

Referring back to FIG. 12, a pin 98b is secured to the underside of the frame 98 of the charging device 97. A lever 105 has a front end which is disposed to the right of the pin 98b and is pivotally supported at its base by a shaft 106. The lever 105 is normally urged by the biasing force of a spring 107 to move clockwise. A shutter charging arm 109a, is integral with a ring 109 mounted-on a tube 108 of the projection lens 42. The arm 109a is disposed to the right of the base of the lever 105. The ring 109 has a pressing arm 10% designed to engage a set lever 110 for a shutter (not shown). When the charging device 97 moves from its initial position as described below, the shutter charging arm 1090 is pushed and moved through the pin 98d and the lever 105. This rotates the ring 109 in the direction of the shown arrow such that the pressing arm 10% engages the projection 110a of the set lever 110 to thereby charge the shutter. It should be clear that other suitable shutter charging means may be employed. For example, a shutter of the type that is normally set may be employed and maybe charged by a suitable motor actuated upon a suitable operation command.

A command to energize the solenoid SOL1 to move the charging device 97 from its initial position and to actuate the high voltage source Ch to start a corona discharge may be issued. by a switch SW disposed below the passage of the card material 49 and having an actuator 92 adapted to be depressed by the card material 49 as it moves along its passage after being inserted in the card feed port 47 (FIG. The switch SW0 may be disposed at any other suitable position, and may be replaced by suitable card material sensing means (not shown) using a photoelectric transducer element or the like. Alternatively, the solenoid SOLl may be actuated in response to the closing of the main switch SW1.

Referring to FIG. 12 again, the charging device support bar 95 extends to the right and has a bent end portion 950 adapted to depress a projection 11a formed in a plate shaped actuator 1110f a double throw switch SW4-1,2 when the charging device 97 moves from its initial position. The actuator 111 has slots 111d and lllc which receive support shafts 112 and 113 respectively for moving the actuator 111 in sliding motion in the same direction as the end portion 950 of the support bar 95.- The actuator 111 is urged by the biasing force of a spring 114 to move away from the double throw switch SW4-1,2. When the bent end portion 950 of the support bar 95 depresses the projection 111a, the actuator 111 moves toward the double throw switch SW4-1,2 against the biasing force of a spring 114 to depress the switch SW4-1,2.

The double throw switch SW4-1,2 includes a switch SW4-1 whose function is to deenergize the solenoid SOLl which actuates the gear 103 and the pulley 101. Thus, when the switch SW4-l is closed, the charging device 97 starts returning to its initial position. When a lock lever 115 is brought into engagement with a cutout 111d formed in the actuator 111, the actuator 111 is locked in a position for holding the double throw switch SW4-1,2 in its depressed position. It should be understood that the double throw switch SW4-1,2 may be held in its depressed position by a self-holding circuit using a suitable relay (not shown), and that the charging device 97 may be returned to its initial position by eliminating the switch SW4-l and using a timer (not shown) which is adapted to deenergize the solenoid SOLl after a predetermined time delay following closing of the main switch SW1. The lock lever 115 is pivotally supported by a shaft 1l5b and is urged by the biasing force of a spring 115a to move into engagement with the cutout 111d formed in the actuator 111 as described above.

Referring to the left hand portion of FIG. 12, a projection 105a extends upwardly from the central portion of the arm 105. A member 116 is loosely mounted on a shaft 118 that is loosely received through an end portion of an arm 117. The member 116 extends in the path of the pivotal movement of the projection 105. Referring to FIG. 21 for a clearer illustation, the shaft 118 is rotatably supported by a fixed supporter 119 and has thereon a spring 120 which is also secured to the member 116 and the arm 117. The member 116 has a portion 116a adapted to be engaged by the arm 117 to permit the arm 117 to act as a single unit with the member 116. The arm 117 is pivotally connected at its other end to a lower portion ofa connector 121 that pivotally supports at its upper portion a push-back pawl 61 for pushing back the hard material 49 at the appropriate time. The pawl 61 is pivotally supported at its base through a shaft 125 by a supporter 124 affixed to the underside of a support plate 51.

When the arm 105 moves in the direction of an arrow 3, in associateion with the movement of the charging device 97 from its initial position, the member 116 is pressed in the same direction by the projection 105 in the terminating stage of the movement of the arm 105. When pressed, the member 116 moves clockwise about the shaft 118, and the arm 117 also moves with the member 116 as a unit by virtue of the biasing force of a spring 120. The movement of the arm 117 is transmitted through the connector 121 to the pawl 61 which is moved from its position shown in solid line in FIG. 21 to the position shown in its dash and dot line in the same figure. The pawl 61 pushes th card material 49 backwardly and moves it until it engages the edge 560 of the positioning member 56. The force with which the arm 105 pushes the member 116 after the pawl 61 has pushed the card material 49 backwardly is absorbed by the spring 120.

When the charging device 97 begins to return to its initial position, the arm 105 is also restored to its original position, thereby releasing the member 116 from the pressure applied thereto. When a member 116 is released. the member 116, the arm 117, the connector 121 and the pawl 61 are all restored to their original positions by the biasing force of a spring 126 mounted 

1. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device for transferring an electrostatic latent image formed on a planar photoconductive material layer of a photoreceptor onto a dielectric material layer of a card material comprising: means for positioning the photoreceptor and the card material against each other with the photoconductive material layer of the photoreceptor facing the dielectric material layer of the card material, a transfer-printing roller, means for moving the transfer-printing roller in rolling motion over the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor to press the card material against the photoreceptor, said transfer roller starting its rolling motion from an initial position at one end of the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor, and a resilient stripper continuously engaging the end of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller and continuously biasing the last recited end of the card material in a direction away from the photoreceptor to gradually raise the card material from the photoreceptor as the rolling motion of the transfer-printing roller proceeds from the initial position toward an end position, thereby gradually peeling off from the photoreceptor the portions of the card material which have received the transfer-printed latent image from the photoreceptor.
 2. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 1 including discharge pawls, a supporter connected to the transfer-printing roller to move in slaved relation therewith, means for pivotally connecting the discharge pawls to the supporter to maintain said pawls out of engagement with the card material as the transfer roller moves away from its initial position and to maintain said pawls in engagement with the card material upon motion of the transfer roller toward its initial position to thereby move the card material away from the photoreceptor when the transfer roller is returned to its initial position.
 3. An electrophographic transfer-printing device as in claim 2 wherein the end portion of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller is the leading end of the card material, and wherein said pawls engage the trailing end of the card material.
 4. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 1 wherein the card material includes a conductive layer backing the dielectric material layer, said device including a sharp-edged conductive member, meanS for moving the conductive member to cause its sharp edge to cut into the card material when the card material is pressed against the photoreceptor by the transfer-printing roller in order to position the transfer-printing sheet at a fixed position with respect to the photoreceptor, said conductive member moving into electrical contact with the conductive layer of the card material when the sharp edge cuts into card material, and means for electrically connecting the conductive member to a selected potential to thereby place the conductive layer backing of the card material at said selected potential.
 5. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 1 wherein the photoreceptor includes a supporter and including means for connecting the resilient stripper to said supporter of the photoreceptor.
 6. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 5 wherein the resilient stripper comprises an L-shaped resilient plate having one end affixed to the photoreceptor supporter and having its other end abutting the end of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller.
 7. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 6 wherein the photoreceptor supporter comprises a plate, means for securing a photoreceptor sheet to the top side of the plate, and wherein the resilient member has an end section affixed to the underside of the plate.
 8. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device for transferring an electrostatic latent image formed on a planar photoconductive material layer of a photoreceptor onto a dielectric material layer of a card material comprising: means for positioning the photoreceptor and the card material against each other with the photoconductive material layer of the photoreceptor facing the dielectric material layer of the card material, a transfer-printing roller, means for moving the transfer-printing roller in rolling motion over the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor to press the card material against the photoreceptor, said transfer roller starting its rolling motion from an initial position at one end of the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor, a resilient stripper engaging the end of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller and biasing the last recited end of the card material in a direction away from the photoreceptor to gradually raise the card material from the photoreceptor as the rolling motion of the transfer-printing roller proceeds from the initial position toward an end position, thereby gradually peeling off from the photoreceptor the portions of the card material which have received the transfer-printed latent image from the photoreceptor, discharge pawls, a supporter connected to the transfer-printing roller to move in slaved relation therewith, means for pivotally connecting the discharge pawls to the supporter to maintain said pawls out of engagement with the card material as the transfer roller moves away from its initial position and to maintain said pawls in engagement with the card material upon motion of the transfer roller toward its initial position to thereby move the card material away from the photoreceptor when the transfer roller is returned to its initial position.
 9. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device as in claim 8 wherein the end portion of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller is the leading end of the card material, and wherein said pawls engage the trailing end of the card material.
 10. An electrophotographic transfer-printing device for transferring an electrostatic latent image formed on a planar photoconductive material layer of a photoreceptor onto a dielectric material layer of a card material comprising: means for positioning the photoreceptor and the card material against each other with the photoconductive material layer of the photoreceptor facing the dielectric material layer of the card material, a transfer-printing Roller, means for moving the transfer-printing roller in rolling motion over the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor to press the card material against the photoreceptor, said transfer roller starting its rolling motion from an initial position at one end of the combination of the card material and the photoreceptor, a resilient stripper engaging the end of the card material adjacent the initial position of the transfer roller and biasing the last recited end of the card material in a direction away from the photoreceptor to gradually raise the card material from the photoreceptor as the rolling motion of the transfer-printing roller proceeds from the initial position toward an end position, thereby gradually peeling off from the photoreceptor the portions of the card material which have received the transfer-printed latent image from the photoreceptor, wherein the card material includes a conductive layer backing the dielectric material layer, said device including a sharp-edged conductive member, means for moving the conductive member to cause its sharp edge to cut into the card material when the card material is pressed against the photoreceptor by the transfer-printing roller in order to position the transfer-printing sheet at a fixed position with respect to the photoreceptor, said conductive member moving into electrical contact with the conductive layer of the card material when the sharp edge cuts into card material, and means for electrically connecting the conductive member to a selected potential to thereby place the conductive layer backing of the card material at said selected potential. 